The Kyiv Independent journalists win '25 under 25: Young and Bold' media award

The Kyiv Independent's journalists Anastasiia Lapatina and Asami Terajima received the "25 under 25: Young and Bold" media award for emerging media creators.

The 25 laureates of the prize were announced by the Media Development Foundation on Nov. 10.

The "25 under 25: Young and Bold" award was launched to highlight the activities of budding media makers and support them at the start of their careers.

The "25 under 25: Young and Bold" quoted Lapatina saying she is proud of her materials about Crimea and the Crimean Tatars, because, according to her observations, this topic is still not sufficiently covered.

She also believes it is important to address issues related to the Middle East.

"These topics, in particular everything related to Palestine and Israel, are very complex and important. Unfortunately, Ukrainian society understands little the context of these conflicts."

Lapatina is also the host of the Kyiv Independent's weekly video and audio podcast "This Week in Ukraine."

She was previously included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list and Teen Vogue's annual 21 Under 21 list of changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a substantial impact in their communities and the world in 2022.

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One of the most overlooked parts of Ukraine is its diversity. The Crimean Tatars – a national minority native to Crimea and recognized as an indigenous people of Ukraine – are a perfect example. The Crimean Tatars – also referred to as Kirimli or Qırımlı – endured wars, mass deportations, and waves…

The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiia Lapatina

Terajima, who is the Kyiv Independent's war reporter, said: "I never thought I'd be a war journalist, but after the full-scale invasion, I realized I needed to be as close to the war as possible to cover it."

In every story she writes, Asami says she tries to spend as much time as possible with soldiers on the front lines and depict the real situation on the battlefield: "It is very important to know the reality of war - how much Ukraine is paying every day to defend our territory."

Asami previously won the Kurt Schork Award for International Journalism (in the "Local Reporter" category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize awarded for "excellent investigative and courageous research activities."

As Bakhmut counteroffensive lags, soldiers burnt out from horrors of war

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The Kyiv IndependentAsami Terajima